Fluid lift pump



April 4, 1939; w. CHURCH FLUID LIFLT PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 In." :2: It

w 4 A L 1 Patented Apr, 4, 1939 .UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUID LIFT PUMP Walter L. Church, Houston, Tex.

Application June 10,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a fluid lift pump.

It is an object of the invention to provide a pump of the character described adapted to utilize an operating fluid, under pressure, for pumping liquid from a well. The construction of the pump is such that the well liquid may be pumped a from any selected level at the will of the operator.

It is an other object of the invention to provide a pump of the character described that may be readily installed for operationin a well without the necessity of disturbing, or dismantling, the conventional Christmas tree with which the well may be equipped. 5 It is a further object of the invention to provide pumping mechanism of the character described that m'ay be located and anchored at a selected place in the well, and which, if. desired, may be readily relocated, and reanchored, a

seal at the top of the well being meanwhile main tained.

It is another object of the inventionto provide in pumping apparatus of, this character, a novel type of stage valve.

The invention represents certain improvements over that type of fluid lift pump disclosed in Patent No. 1,974,260, issued on September 14, 1934.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation, partly in section, showing the upper end of the pump.

Figure 2 shows a side view, partly in section, of the lower end thereof.

Figure. 3 shows a side view, partly in section,

of.the stage valve employed.

Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of .Figure 3.

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 shows a side view, partly in section, of an anchor employed.

Figure '7 shows a side view, partly in section, of an intermediate portion of the pump, and

Figure 8 shows a side elevation, partly in sec-'" tion, of the complete equipment as installed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts in each of the figures, the numeral l designates the well casing to the upper end of which the conventional casing head 1937, Serial No. 147,535 I (01. 1os--2s'.s)

2 is secured which is equipped with the lateral, valve controlled flow line 3. Mounted on the casing head are the conventional Christmas .tree connections designated generally by the numeral 4 and which embody the gate valve 5 and the valve controlled flow line 6.

The parts hereinbefore described are conven-- tional equipment now commonly installed on producing wells.

Above the Christmas tree there is a cage which embodies the lower tubular head I, which is screwed into the top of the Christmas tree and the upper nut 8, said head and nut having the external flanges 9 and Ill anchored in spaced relation by the anchor rods I l.

The tubular head I has an inside seat l2 on which there is mounted a tubular pressure head l3 to which the required amount of compression may be applied by means of the tubular gland M which is screwed into the upper end of the head 1 and abuts the pressure head. The upper end of this gland is outwardly flared forming the lower slip seat I 5. The gland may be secured in place by a lock nut I6 which is screwed thereon into abutting relation with the flange 9 and which may be secured in place by the bolts l1.

Threaded downwardly through the nut 8 there is the externally threaded adjusting sleeve l8 whose upper end is formed with a head l9 provided with sockets 20 to receive the handles 2| whereby the sleeve may be turned. 1 A slip bowl 22 is mounted on, and has a swiveling connection with, the sleeve [8 and has the upper, downwardly tapering, slip seat 23. The well tubing 24 is suspended in the well from the casing head, in any conventional manner.

An operating fluid, such as compressed air, or gas under pressure may be forced from a suitable source of pressure down into the well through the tubing 25. This tubing extends down through the slip bowl 22, the adjusting sleeve 28 and on down through the Christmas tree into the well and is supported by the lower and upper sets of the slips 26,, 21 which are seated in the lower and upper-slip seats I5, 23. It is closely surrounded by the pressure head l3 whereby a seal is formed and the upper end of'the well is maintained closed. The lower end of the tubing 25 is formed of separate sections 25a between which the stage valves, of the type shown in Figure 3, are located. This type of valve will be more specifically hereinafter described. COnnected to, and depending from, the lowerend of the tubing 25. is an anchor rod (8 s no and attached to the lower end of this rod is the expander 29 having the upwardly converging faces 38, 30 on which the upwardly tapering, wedge-shaped jaws 3|, 3| are slidably mounted. These jaws have the external downwardly pitched engaging teeth to engage the inner wall of the tubing 24. A guide rod 32 has its upper end extended up into the expander 29 and carries a cross-pin 33 whose ends work through transverse bearings in the jaws 3|, extending through the vertical side slots 34 of the expander.

The lower end of the guide rod 32 carries an inverted conical shaped guide 35 thereon for guiding the mechanism in the tubing 24. On the guide rod are the upper and lower anchors 36, 31 to which the upper andlower ends, respectively, of the outwardly bowed wiper springs 38 are secured which work in frictional contact with the' inner wall of the tubing 24.

Fastened on the guide rod 32 there is a bearing ring 39 which supports the upper anchor 36 and said ring and anchor are connected to swivel ,by the inside connecting collar 40 having outwardly turned end flanges which are fitted into inside grooves in said anchor and ring, respectively.

The lower end of the expander 29 has a deep socket 4| therein and the anchor 36 has an upstanding dowel 42 which normally holds the expander spaced above the anchor 36 as indicated in Figure 6 whereby the engaging jaws 3| will be permitted to remain in inactive position as shown in Figure 6. The expander 29 may be turned, as hereinafter described to align the dowel 42 with the socket 4| thus permitting the expander to move downwardly on the guide rod 32. Upon such downward movement the jaws 3| will be held against downward movement and the expander faces 30 will operate to expand the jaws into engagement with the tubing whereby the structure above will be anchored in the tubing.

As stated, the sections of the tubing 25 are connected by the stage valves shown more accurately in Figure 3. now be specifically described. Referring to Figure 3 a tubular coupling 43 is connected to the tubing section above and its lower end is reduced forming the pin 43a and is outwardly threaded into the upper end of the tubular valve casing 44. This valve casing is inwardly thickened at its lower end forming an inside, annular valve seat 45.

There is a tubular sleeve valve 46 fitted through, and extended beneath, the casing 44 and whose lower end is threaded for connection to the section of tubing beneath. This sleeve valve is ,out-' tending from the upper end thereof downwardly beneath the valve casing 44. The operating fluid may flow downwardly through the valve mechanism passing outwardly between the clutch jaws and on downwardly through said grooves 50, when the valve 46 is in its upper position with its seat 41 lifted off of the seat 45, but when in its lower position with said seats in contact the One of these valves will grooves 50 will be closed and the escape of the operating fluid out ofi.

The apparatus may be assembled and-the tubing 25 and the appendants thereon lowered into the well through the Christmas tree and the apparatus at the top of the well then mounted on the Christmas tree, all as illustrated in Figure 8. While being lowered the dowel 42 will be maintained out of alignment with the socket 4| so that the jaws 3| will remain in inactive position. When it is desired to anchor the lower end of the tubing 25, said tubing may be turned till the dowel is in alignment with the socket 4| and this will permit the expander 29 to move on downwardly relative to the guide rod 32, said rod being held stationary by the wiper springs 38.

This will operate to expand the jaws 3| into engagementwith the surrounding tubing 24 as shown in Figure 2. The tubing 25 may then be lowered so as to open all of i the valves and anchored in the desired position by the slips 25, 21. I

Itis, of course, contemplated that the valves will be submerged in the liquid to be pumped when located in their final position in the well. The operating fluid may then be forced under pressure down through the tubing 25 and it will pass outwardly through the grooves 50 of the upper valve which is open and into the liquid in the well tubing 24 to elevate said liquid. The operating fluid will escape through the upper valve because it encounters the least resistance at that point.

Upon upward movement of the column of liquid above in the tubing 24 the sleeve I8 may be turned to elevate it through the nut 8'and this .will elevate the tubing 25 closing the upper valve and opening the next succeeding valve beneath to permit the operating fluid to escape through this lastmentioned valve and the tubing 24 thus imparting an upward movement to said liquid and so on. The valves may be opened from above downwardly until the level is reached at which it is desired to permanently operate. The point from which the liquid is to be elevated can, of course, be changed as desired in accordance with the level of the liquid in the well. The tubing 25 can be readily elevated and lowered to control the operation of said valves and to readily select the 'point of elevation from which it is desired to pump the liquid. If it be desired to lower the tubing 25 the slips 26 may be removed and the sleeve |8 screwed downwardly through the nut 8. On the other hand if it be desired to elevate the tubing 25 the sleeve I8 may be screwed upwardly through the nut 8. After the sleeve l8 has reached the limit of its upward movement if it be desired to elevate the tubing 25 further said tubing may be held by the slips 26 and the sleeve l8 screwed downwardly as far as desired and upon the succeeding upward movement of the sleeve l8 through the nut 8 the slips 2'! will engage and again elevate said tubing.

It is thus obvious that the tubing 25 may be readily elevated or lowered so as to control the opening and closing of the stage valves incorporated therein.

The fluid will be ultimately discharged from the pump through 'the flow line 6.

The drawings and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration only, while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:--

1. In combination an outer pipe and an inner pipe in a well bore, said inner pipe having outlets spaced apart along the pipe, valves arranged to control said outlets, and to be successively opened upon movement of the inner pipe in one direction and to be successively closed upon move- 'ment of the inner pipe in another direction,

valves for closing the space between the well tubing and said inner tube, a cage at the top of the well, upper and lower engaging means on the cage for engaging and supporting the inner tube, said cage embodying a screw jack for varying the elevation of said upper engaging means.

3. In a well pump a tubular stage valve comprising a valve casing having an annular inside seat, a tubular valve in the casing having an external annular seat arranged to cooperate with the seat of the casing, there being flutes between the valve and casing for the passage oi! fluid when said seats are spaced apart, said seats being effective to close said flutes when in contact, said valve and casing having intermeshing clutch jaws permitting their relative longitudimeans, one movable vertically relative to the other.

5. In a pump for wells a head, an upper and a lower support on the head, a string engaged and supported by said supports, one of said supports being movable vertically relative to the other and being adapted to engage and elevate the string upon upward movement and to. release the string on downward movement.

6. In a pump for wells a head shaped to receive a string of pipe therethrough, a string through said head, upper and lower means on the head engageable with the string to support said string, said upper and lower means being movable rela tive to each other to elevate or lower the string and means for maintaining a seal between the head and the string during such movement of the string.

'7. A fluid lift pump comprising an outer pipe and an inner pipe adapted to be located in a well bore, said inner pipe having outlets spaced apart therealong,valve means for controlling said outlets and adapted to be actuated upon longitudinal movement of the inner pipe relative to the outer pipe, means for closing the space between the inner pipe and outer pipe above the outlets, means on the inner pipe engageable with the outer pipe to support the inner pipe, said supporting means being movable to active or inactlve position by manipulation oil the inner pipe at the will of the operator, whereby the inner pipe may be anchored to the outer pipe at the different selected points of elevation in the well.

8. In combination an outer pipe and an inner pipe shaped to locate in a well bore, said inner pipe having outlets spaced apart along said inner pipe, means arranged to control said outlets, and to be actuated upon relative longitudinal movement of the inner pipe, means for closing the space between the inner and outer pipes above said outlets, means at the top of the well engageable with the inner pipe upon elevation of said last mentioned means and releasable from the inner pipe upon downward movement of said last mentioned means whereby the inner pipe may be successively engaged and successively elevated.

WALTER L. CHURCH. 

